Police Used Covert Phone Calls in Pot-Store Probe

Court documents obtained by KTW are shedding new light on the police investigation leading to last week’s raid on a North Kamloops marijuana dispensary.

Search warrant documents state police used “surveillance” and “covert phone calls” to determine Carl Anderson was trafficking marijuana out of a storefront at 405 Tranquille Rd.

According to the documents, investigators believe clients of the Canadian Safe Cannabis Society were not all legally authorized to possess medicinal cannabis.

“Clients of the business are not required to have a licence from Health Canada giving them authorization to possess marihuana [sic],” the documents read. “This business is operated contrary to the regulations set out in the MMAR [Marijuana Medical Access Regulation] and is contrary to the CDSA [Controlled Drugs and Substances Act].”

The documents state the investigation into Anderson and his society started on June 24, 2011, after investigators read a newspaper article about the business.

In a subsequent meeting with police, the documents read, Anderson said he had authorization from Health Canada to store up to 20 pounds of marijuana at the storefront location, but was not legally entitled to sell it.

Police later determined Anderson was not authorized to store marijuana at the business.

According to the documents, Kamloops RCMP arrested a woman — Denice Rachelle Edwards — in August in relation to a theft investigation and found in her possession two “prescription-type bottles” of marijuana from the society.

Investigators contacted Health Canada and learned Edwards did not have a licence to possess medicinal marijuana.

Police also received information from a confidential source, who is legally allowed to access medicinal marijuana, stating the society always has a supply of marijuana on-site.

On Oct. 5, according to the court documents, an investigator called the society “in an undercover capacity” and was told clients could purchase marijuana prior to receiving licensing from Health Canada, as long as they applied and had a doctor’s note.

The Kamloops RCMP’s drug section received a search warrant on Oct. 31 and police raided the society’s office the following day.

After the raid, Mounties said they had seized marijuana, computers and business records.

Anderson was also arrested while the warrant was being executed, after allegedly failing to co-operate with police. He was released from custody the following day.

Anderson has yet to be charged, but RCMP have said he could face charges of drug trafficking and obstructing a peace officer.

On Monday, Nov. 7, the City of Kamloops slapped a notice on the society’s storefront, prohibiting occupancy pending an environmental inspection.